[AFYC] Chapter 28

She regretted her actions more than ever, cursing herself for ordering the girl to be “trained” tonight. The girl curled up on the bed, making weak, trembling sounds. 

It was clear just by looking at her. The aphrodisiac had spread through her system. 

Her mind was submerged below the surface, while her senses were heightened to an excruciating degree. In this state, every part of her body became a sensitive point. She would react to every touch, turning red and gasping—a state that, in the brothel world, was often referred to as being “tuned” into an instrument. 

It was the perfect condition for training, but for the brothel owner, who feared for her life, every moan the girl made felt like it was draining her lifespan. She desperately tried to explain to Oscar. 

“It’s not a serious drug. It just makes her unable to move and heightens her senses a little…” 

“Bring me the antidote,” Oscar cut her off without hesitation, his tone as cold as death. 

The abruptness of his command made her feel as though her neck had been sliced. Tears welled up and spilt down her cheeks. 

“I’m sorry, but there’s no antidote, I… Argh…!” 

She clutched her hand, which had been crushed under his foot, bowing her head even lower. His gaze on the back of her head felt heavier than the pressure on her hand. 

“She won’t die! I mixed one drop of Elros with one and a half drops of Xeros. It will naturally clear from her system over time, I swear!” 

“And nothing else?” 

“No, nothing else! I swear it!” 

She pleaded desperately. 

“She was still in the training process. If something went wrong, it would be my loss, too, wouldn’t it? Please, believe me. It will clear naturally with time…” 

“How long?” 

“Seven to nine hours. She’ll be fine by tomorrow morning! Please, trust me.” 

“….” 

The smell of smoke filled the air again. 

She instinctively knew that her life was being reconsidered, the cigarette acting as a timer. Would he decide to kill her once it was smoked down to the filter? The overwhelming fear made her feel like her mind was about to go blank. 

Thud. 

A still-lit cigarette fell to the floor beside her trembling body. 

She dared not look up at Oscar, only at the cigarette beside her. Her eyes filled with despair as she watched the tendrils of smoke rise, and the wolves began to move around her as if they had been waiting for this moment. 

Silent tears streamed down her face. 

The miserable life she had led flashed before her eyes. Just when things were starting to look up… 

She continued to beg for her life, over and over, as if the words were stuck on repeat. 

Please spare me; I was wrong; please let me live. 

The fear of death made her lose all sense of time and space. Like a broken machine, she repeated her pleas endlessly. 

How long had she been begging? 

“Wouldn’t it have been better to figure out your place before it came to this?” 

The sudden voice made her creak her head up, revealing a wolf with red eyes glaring at her in annoyance. He lowered himself slowly until he was at eye level with her. 

“So, seven to nine hours, you said?” 

She nodded, almost as if in a trance. The wolf rose gracefully as if stretching out his limbs after a nap and snuffed Oscar’s cigarette with his foot. 

“Don’t wander around causing trouble. If we must come looking for you, we’ll charge extra.” 

“Y-yes…” 

“Try to live a decent life, will you?” 

With those words, he casually checked the room one last time before disappearing through the door. 

She sat there in a daze, her hand unconsciously rubbing her neck. 

But the relief of surviving didn’t last long. If the girl didn’t wake up… The chill of the summer night seeped into her bones, and she found herself vomiting up nothing but bile once more. 

*** 

The elite operatives of the Reinhardt family, commonly known as the Wolves. 

When the Reinhardt family were mere border counts, these men were the family’s private soldiers. But as the years passed, they were driven into the shadows. 

More dangerous and covert missions were assigned to them. 

Espionage, sabotage, assassination, and reconnaissance. 

As they undertook these tasks, they evolved from knights into operatives, eventually Wolves. 

The Wolves had only one goal: to serve their master with absolute loyalty. 

They belonged neither to a nation nor a people— solely to the Reinhardts. To them, Reinhardt was both their nation and their people, and their master’s objectives were their objectives. 

However, this intense loyalty came with a caveat: anyone who couldn’t match this level of devotion was either expelled or eliminated.